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Issue #42
Bandana’s Japan-Made Gift Guide
Cory Ohlendorf
December 11, 2025
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Words by Cory Ohlendorf | Photography courtesy
When it comes to thoughtful gift-giving, few places rival Japan's ability to elevate the everyday into something extraordinary. It's a country where a rice cooker becomes an object of desire, where chopsticks are precision-engineered, and where even a simple bandana carries centuries of textile tradition. That philosophy—call it monozukuri, the art of making things—runs through everything produced on the islands, from kitchen essentials to skincare. |  |
For this guide, we curated a collection that captures the breadth and depth of Japanese craftsmanship. You'll find heirloom-quality cookware from family-run foundries, minimalist home goods that embody the principle of ma (thoughtful negative space), and artisan-made accessories that blur the line between functional and beautiful. Whether you're shopping for the design obsessive or someone who won’t stop talking about their last trip to Tokyo, these 20 gifts showcase why “Made in Japan” remains the gold standard for quality, durability, and quiet elegance. And they’re all available to be shipped easily and quickly around the world.
 Cotton bandana, $24 by Kamawanu |  Ceramic incense holder, $49 by Muso Collection |
YukiHira nabe pot, $43 by Yoshikawa
 MoonKettle, on sale for $233.10 by Balmuda |  Yunohana bath powder, $25 by Okuhida Onsen ⇧ Extracted straight from the Japanese Alps, this mineral mix produces a silky, opaque water as if you’re bathing at a natural hot spring. |
Kikka donabe rice cooker, $112 by Ginpo
⇧ The secret to this pot’s superior rice-cooking capabilities lies in the way porous clay retains heats to penetrate each rice grain. |
 Japanese citrus chocolates, $110 by Dandelion Chocolate ⇧ Crafted by Tokyo chef Shota Suzuki, this set uses three distinctive Japanese citrus varieties coated in dark chocolate. |  Kendama game, $50 by KENDAMA TOHOKU x BEAMS  Steel tool box, $44.70 by Toyo |
Asahikawa tea cup, $60 by Kazuhiko Kudou
 Insulated trail tumbler, $45.80 by KINTO |  “A Dictionary Of Color Combinations”, $20 by Seigensha |  Stackable mug, $38 by Hasami |
Kaizen II chef’s knife, on sale for $159.95 by Miyabi
 Indigo shibori kit, $58 by Yamato Indigo |  Wabuki chopsticks, $50 by Snow Peak ⇧ These stainless steel and bamboo chopsticks pack down inside themselves for easy and portable storage. |
Rice wax candles, $23 by Daiyo
Low flower vase, $83.95 by Miyabi
 Mochi mochi cream, $48 by DamDam Tokyo ⇧ This bestselling moisturizer is powered by shiso and rice to deliver deep hydration and skin that’s soft and bouncy. |  Aomori Hiba incense, $32 Kousaido |
That’s all
for 2025.
We’ll see you back here in the New Year.
Know someone that would like Bandana?
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